Samurai Sentai Shinkenger x Power Rangers Samurai
by tokujunkie
Summary: What will happen when two so diverse, yet so similar, teams of samurai warriors come together to battle a common threat? My first story here. Please comment, rate and warn me of any inconsistencies.
1. Prologue

Akumaro's plan for Hell on Earth was a spectacular failure.

He had everything set up for the plan to work without a hitch: the pattern of attacks, the very point where to strike... It was all set in motion even before his 200-year slumber at the bottom of the Sanzu River.

But then, there was one thing which he did not factor.

His pawn.

As it turned out, Fuwa Juuzou's bloodlust was too great. Akumaro thought he had the stray under his control by bonding his family's souls to his katana, Uramasa, and driving the final wedge into the Earth would release them.

But Juuzou would not have any of this. All that he wanted was to keep on fighting, in his own words, until the very marrow of his bones crumbled to dust. This is why he left them in the first place.

This is why he turned on Akumaro.

This is why he drove the wedge on _him _instead.

To add insult to injury, the Shinkengers just had to be there to take advantage of this. While the Gedou swordsman wounded him mortally, it was the band of human samurai who delivered the killing blow. If there was one good thing to come of this, though, is that, in his final moment, he finally could have a taste of the Hell he sought for so long.

All these thoughts coursed through Akumaro's mind as his conscience slowly came to him and he felt himself lying face up on a pebble-covered ground. He opened his eyes and saw a blood-red sky above him, an atmosphere all too familiar. Could that be Hell surrounding him?

No, it could not. He knew that Gedou cannot go to Hell, instead having to dwell in the Sanzu River for penance. Besides, it was at the same time all too familiar and strange to him. Like going back home after a very long travel. A quick survey would sane any doubts.

And there it was.

The Rokumon-sen.

It really was not Hell after all.

He had somehow been sent back to the Sanzu River.

The Gedoushu general stopped to think. Should he be angered that he was ultimately denied of his lifelong pursuit for Hell? Or could this, somehow, be a sort of second chance?

He eventually conceded. He felt that he was just given another opportunity to retry the Urami Gandou Gaeshi, the forbidden technique that would raise Hell up to Earth. This time he would make sure he did things right. This time, for sure, humans would know true Hell. With all of this in mind, he made his way to the Rokumon-sen.

As he waded closer and closer to the ship, he could hear the odd, yet familiar, sound of the shamisen, which meant Usukawa Dayuu was there. As much as she hated him for using her, he did not feel the need to sneak in hidden from her view. So, he slipped into the barge unceremoniously, to which the music stopped, as the musician turned her head to face him.

"Excuse my rudeness, Dayuu-san", he said, knowing she was looking at him, even though he had his back turned at her.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"Now, now. Just because you are mad at me, you don't need to pretend not to know me, Dayuu-san", he said, turning towards her, somewhat surprised at her question.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" replied his interlocutor, confused.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho... Dayuu-san... You surely cannot remember?"

"I wouldn't forget a weird face like yours", she replied. "And I'm sure I've never seen yours before. So you'd better state your business, or-"

"Ooh-ah-ooh! What's all this ruckus around here?" said Hone no Shitari, entering the ship's main room. Akumaro looked at him quite bewildered. He knew it was Shitari he was seeing, but his voice sounded so... different. "It's hard to do research with all this noise!"

"None of your concern, noodleface", replied Dayuu. "I just caught this snoop trying to sneak aboard. But I'll throw him out soon."

"Shitari-san", said Akumaro, turning to the short, squid-like Gedoushu, with an almost pleading tone. "You remember me, do you not?"

"Shitari? Ooh-ah-ooh! My name's Octoroo!"

"Octo... roo?"

"Yes! What about you? Are you a Nighlok too?"

"I... I..." Akumaro was getting more and more confused. "Well... I cannot say I know what a Nighlok is, but..."

"Then cut the chit-chat! Get out or I'll kick you out!" interjected Dayu.

"I suppose you should do as she says..." said Octoroo to Akumaro. "'Cause if Master Xandred catches you here..."

"I've caught him already", said a thunderous, authoritative voice in response, whose owner revealed himself at that time. Akumaro made one last attempt to get through to him.

"Doukoku-sama... Is that... you?..."

"Doukoku?" replied Xandred. "That's not my name, you fool. I am Xandred, Master of the Netherworld and Commander of the Nighloks! And what about you? Who are you and where you came from?"

Something clicked within Akumaro. That indeed was not Chimatsuri Doukoku before him, nor were the others Hone no Shitari or Usukawa Dayuu. Apparently, the coup de grace administered to him by the Shinkengers shunted him to a different plane of existence in which the Gedoushu were known as the "Nighloks" these ones spoke of. And, if everything there was so similar to the world he came from, he then had the conditions to retry his plan and eliminate whatever analogues to the Shinkengers could get in his way among the humans.

"So? Are you going to speak or should I cut your mouth open?" urged Xandred, interrupting Akumaro's thoughts, as a Mooger served him his medicine.

"Well..." started the Gedoushu. "Let me summarize... Xandred-sama. My name is Sujigarano Akumaro, and I come from a different world, in which your... Nighloks..." he had a certain difficulty pronouncing the new names he heard. "...are known as Gedoushu. And as it turns out, I was a general of the Gedoushu, tasked with forcing humans to shed tears to raise the Sanzu River's level. However... There was a certain samurai lord who, followed by his retainers, always hampered my progress with my plans."

"Oh? So you've tangled with the Samurai Rangers?" asked Dayu, growing interested.

"The Shinkengers, to be exact", corrected Akumaro. "Them and me had many battles, and they put a halt to my ambition, which was to bring Hell itself to the human world. They thought they had me killed, but apparently, that was exactly when I was brought to your world by some unknown force."

"And do you think you have what it takes to take on the Samurai Rangers, Su… eh…"

"Please, just call me Akumaro."

"Whatever, your name's too long", continued Xandred, taking a sip of his medicine. "Anyway, answer my question: if things are so similar in your world as they are in ours, do you think you can face the Samurai Rangers?"

"Yes", replied Akumaro. "I will stop anything or anyone who dares to prevent my ambition to come to pass."

"Then you can go", replied the Master of the Nighloks. "Terrorize the humans, beat up the Samurai Rangers, do whatever you want. Just go before I change my mind about letting you aboard!"

"Yes, Xandred-sama. Please excuse me."

Akumaro slowly turned and left the Netherworld Ship.

"Are you sure about this, Master?" asked Octoroo. "Somehow... I don't think I trust that Akumaro guy."

"Me neither", replied Xandred. "But if he says he can cause so much suffering on the human world, all the better for us. And if he ever tries to double-cross me... " he suddenly slashed into the air with his sword, narrowly missing Octoroo, before completing: "...I'll just strike him down."

"Ooh-ah-ooh..."


	2. The American Samurai's Serious Battle

In the human world, it had been a few weeks since the last Nighlok attack happened, so the Samurai Rangers enjoyed their free time any way they could. That day, they were having a picnic in the city park, being treated to the seafood delicacies from Antonio's cart.

"This is really good!" opined Emily.

"Of course, my friend! Always golden standard, that's what I go for!" replied Antonio, in a cocky tone, to which the girls giggled.

"So, like I was saying, you gotta loosen up, you know, dude", said Mike to Jayden meanwhile. "We're in this together, so you don't need to be stiff all the time."

"I understand, Mike", replied Jayden. "I just... I never wanted to risk your lives like this. As much as it's my duty to lead you to battle... I'd feel guilty if something bad happened to any of you."

"Jayden", said Kevin. "We chose this. This is a part of our lives ever since we were born. Both as samurai and as Rangers, we have to stick together through thick and thin."

"Yeah", interjected Mia. "It's what our motto says. 'Rangers together, samurai forever'. Only united will we stand up to hard times."

The leader of the Samurai Rangers let out a satisfied sigh.

"...You're right. Thank you, guys. It's good to know that you've got my back."

"No biggie", said Mike. "Hey Antonio, can I have another helping?"

"Sure thing!"

At that moment, Jayden's Samuraizer rang.

"Hello? Yes, Ji, we're all here." Everyone noticed as his relaxed expression changed to a worried frown. "What? Okay. We're on our way."

"What's the matter?" asked Antonio.

"We gotta go to the waterfront", he said, standing up. "Looks like the Nighloks are back in town." He then ran off, followed by his five teammates.

"So much for that other helping", muttered Mike as he followed.

* * *

><p>On an artificial riverbank, civilians ran off left and right as a platoon of Moogers attacked them. One of them had a young woman at his mercy and had his sword raised to strike her, when he was attacked by Jayden's Lion Folding Zord, which heralded the samurais' arrival.<p>

"Samuraizer!" he shouted, running into view, as his partners followed.

"Go Go Samurai!" yelled the other four samurai, following their leader's command.

"Samurai Morpher!" shouted Antonio, meanwhile, readying his own morphing device. "Gold Power!"

In flashes of light in their respective colors, the six youngsters morphed into the Samurai Rangers and started fighting. With agility and strength, they were able to best the Netherworld troopers in a short time. Then a pair of figures which looked like papercuts showed up where the Moogers were.

"What are those things?" asked the Pink Ranger.

"No idea", replied the Red Ranger, "but we'll take 'em down as well!"

The six samurai attacked with full force, splitting themselves in two groups of three. The paper-like monsters, in turn, only barely attempted to attack the Rangers, to no avail. As much as the creatures tried to put up a fight, he swordsmen were better prepared and stronger, so there could be only one plausible result.

"That was too easy", said the Green Ranger, once the creatures were defeated. "Are these Nighloks getting weaker, or what?"

"Not at all", replied a voice coming from behind the Rangers, who turned in its direction immediately. They found out its owner was someone who looked like a Nighlok, except he was unlike any of the ones they knew: he had long white hair, six eyes configured in horizontal slits, and an unnervingly confident grin. "These were indeed my weakest Kirigami… and they were brought out merely to assess your strength levels."

"Who are you?" asked the Red Ranger, cautiously pointing his sword at the figure before him.

"My name is Sujigarano Akumaro", he replied, "and I am a general of the Gedoushu. My mission is to bring about the rise of Hell to this Earth."

"Say what?" asked the Blue Ranger.

"And, in order to do that… The suffering of the humans is, dare I say it, unavoidable."

"You're a Nighlok, then, huh?" said the Red Ranger. "We'll deal with you right away."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! You are most welcome to try."

Accepting the challenge, the Rangers rushed, one by one, at Akumaro. The Red Ranger clashed swords with him until he had a strike parried, getting him out of the way and allowing the Blue and Green Rangers to come at him as well. Then it was the Pink Ranger's turn. She drew her Spin Sword and thrusted it tip-first at him, who blocked the blow with his weapon.

As they tangled, the Green Ranger stood up again and ran to Akumaro, not wanting to admit his own defeat.

"Mike!" called the Blue Ranger, to no avail. When the Green Ranger had his sword ready to strike, Akumaro simply deflected the Pink Ranger's sword with enough force to push her back, turning rapidly at his attacker and clawing at his gut repeatedly to bring him down.

"It's not polite to interrupt others, did you know?" asked Akumaro, sarcastically, as the Ranger's partners called his name. Then, turning back to the Pink Ranger, who was now joined by the Yellow Ranger: "Now, where were we?"

"Let's do like we combined, Emily. Behind me", said the Pink Ranger to her partner, which nodded. They then ran towards the enemy together, one in front of the other. When they were close enough, the Pink Ranger ducked, to which the Yellow Ranger jumped over her and tried to strike Akumaro with a vertical slash, but he blocked the attack and slashed her with such force she was thrown back.

"Emily!" shouted the Pink Ranger, running to her friend. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah… Let's get him!" she replied, standing up, as the Red Ranger took his turn in the fight again.

"Fire Smasher!" he shouted as he equipped his signature weapon, a large-bladed sword which, while looking cumbersome, he was able to swing around deftly. Akumaro blocked a few swings and dodged others, but when he moved to attack, the Red Ranger backed away and prepared his weapon in another position.

"Cannon Mode!" He then commanded the rest of the Rangers: "Lend me your discs, guys!"

"Okay!"

"Got it!"

One by one, the five discs were placed on the back of the Fire Smasher's blade, with the Beetle Disc in front.

"Five Disc Beetle Cannon!"

Akumaro stood oddly calm as the leader of the Samurai Rangers held his finger over the trigger, ready to shoot.

"Fire!" they all shouted in unison.

Akumaro only had time to raise his blade as the shot struck him dead-on, exploding with the impact.

"Yeah!"

"We did it!"

"Not yet, I'm afraid", said a voice coming from the middle of the explosion. From the smoke and fire, Akumaro emerged, largely unscathed, as he stood with his sword down, showing he had simply sliced the fireball in half.

"What?! How?"

"I suppose you can say... I have fought the likes of you before", replied Akumaro. "So no matter what you do, I have a plan for you."

"Oh yeah? Got a plan for this?" shouted the Gold Ranger, charging into battle.

"Antonio, wait!" called the Red Ranger.

"Barracuda Bite!" the Gold Ranger started unleashing quick slashes in rapid succession from his dagger, surrounding Akumaro. The latter, however, seemed to be able to defend or evade each of the attacks, much to the former's increasing frustration.

"C'mon, stay still already!"

The flurry of attacks was only stopped when the Gedoushu, dodging one of the Ranger's attacks, quickly grabbed his striking arm and sank his claws into his gut, causing him to double over in pain and demorph.

"Antonio!"

"Such a pity", said Akumaro. "Can't you really do any better?"

"We'll show you, Nighlok", said the Red Ranger, with his Spin Sword in hand. "Let's try something different."

The others took the cue and loaded their discs on the base of their Spin Swords. Once this was done, they spun them rapidly, in such a way energy swirled around their blades.

"Spin Sword, Quintuple Slash!" the Rangers unleashed, at the same time, energetic attacks from their swords, which Akumaro rapidly slipped through, soon facing the Rangers. One by one, he took them down violently, using his sword and claws.

With only the Red Ranger left standing, he brought the blade of his Spin Sword up in a horizontal position to block the oncoming attack, but Akumaro stopped before him before he could even complete the motion. The Ranger opted to attack in the split second he had, but Akumaro was quicker and, as he had done with the Green Ranger, he stabbed the Red Ranger's stomach repeatedly with his claws, before knocking him down with a slash of his sword at the same wounded spot, causing him to revert to civilian form like the others before.

"Aaagh! This guy…" Jayden said, struggling to stand, supporting himself on his sword.

"He's too powerful!" said Mia, who was on all fours on the ground. "We can't take him on!"

"Well, I guess this is it for now", said Akumaro. "I thought you were as able as the Shinkengers… But I see you are still pups compared to them. It will have no significance killing you here, so I might as well let you go. Consider it a second chance… Ohohohohoho!"

With that, he turned and left, as the battered Rangers writhed in pain on the ground.


	3. The World on the Other Side

Hey, everyone, tokujunkie here.

First of all, thanks for the good reviews I've got, and sorry for the delay in releasing this part. Looks like I picked the wrong year to take up writing fanfics… xD

Anyway, while I think I could fix a few things prior to this episode, the overall setting will stay the same. And the encounter between the Samurai Rangers and the Shinkengers will happen, I assure you.

One more thing that I tried to mention before, but I ended up forgetting: this episode takes place between _Samurai_ episodes 16 (Boxed In) and 17 (Broken Dreams), and between _Shinkenger _episodes 43 (One Last Sword) and 44 (The 18th Head of the Shiba House).

Without further delay, _iza, mairu_!

* * *

><p>Another city, another country... Another Earth.<p>

In Japan, six youngsters were celebrating Christmas in a rather picturesque fashion, congregated around a sushi cart. But it was not just that date they celebrated.

"Man, that was the greatest Christmas ever!" started the male teenager with spiky brown hair. "We saved the day, and even got back in time to unpack the presents!"

"Yeah", agreed the young woman with long, straight, brown hair. "I'm glad that we got a break from what happened all along this year."

"And I got to spend the holidays with friends… for the first time, I guess", said the girl with wavy black hair, who seemed to be the youngest. "I just wished my sister was here too."

The one with a dark brown mop hairstyle then uttered something under his breath. Although unintelligible, it was enough to draw his companions' attention.

"Take-chan?" asked Genta. "What's the matter?"

"Hm? It's nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?" asked Mako. "Akumaro's defeat?"

"Hmm, more or less", replied Takeru. "I was thinking that there's still Chimatsuri Doukoku to deal with… We all saw how dangerous he is."

"Yeah, he tossed us around like nothing", pointed out Chiaki as he remembered. "And he was even drying, right?"

"That's just what I thought too", added Ryunosuke. "If he's that dread under the effect of the seal, who knows what would happen if the previous Lord hadn't sealed him?"

"I'm scared to think of it", said Kotoha.

"Then let's not think about it for now", said Mako. "I personally feel that we earned a respite after defeating Akumaro and stopping his plan. And I think we should enjoy it while it lasts. What do you say, Takeru?"

Takeru silently sighed and nodded, with a genuinely content smirk.

"Okay then", she continued, recognizind her Lord's approval. "What should we do?"

"Maybe we could go to the amusement park?"

"Or the movies? I heard there's this awesome film that's opening…"

As the Shinkengers discussed about their plans for these days of relative peace, Takeru just smiled as he looked at them. At first, he did not want them to carry his burden on his stead, but the truth is that, over time, he warmed to them. Not by their willingness to risk themselves for the mission or for his sake, but by the bond they shared as Lord and retainers and, most of all, friends. It was this unfathomable care that drove him each day, more and more. His sense of duty may have put him into the battlefield in the first place, but it is the six blades together that allow him to keep going, even though he would not openly admit it.

As he was lost in his thoughts, his Shodophone rang. He knew it could only be his caretaker, Hikoma Kusakabe, so he skipped any formalities on the phone. As he listened, his expression grew more and more worried, slowly drawing his partners' attention.

"I understand. We're coming", he said, finishing the call. "Let's head back", he said to his teammates as he started leaving, closely followed by them.

* * *

><p>"A tear?"<p>

"Yes", replied Hikoma, while the kuroko handed photos to the team. "The reports sent in by the kuroko don't show anything conclusive, but they definitely look strange. According to them, this tear just appeared in mid-air."

"Forgive my insolence, but I'm not convinced", said Ryunosuke, analyzing the picture in his hand. "Are you sure this isn't just a cloud parting, and its coloring is due to some weird reflection of sunlight?"

"Oi, stop being so scientific, man", ribbed Chiaki.

"If only it was just that", continued Hikoma. "The reports also say that this tear has some sort of magnetic pull, which sucked some of the kuroko in."

"Whoo, that's pretty freaky", continued Chiaki. "Kinda like those _Star Trek _wormholes, you know?"

"Where is it located?" inquired Takeru.

"Point #912."

"But that's..." started Mako.

"...Where we defeated Akumaro, isn't it?" continued Kotoha.

"Why is it there?"

Takeru turned around, thinking. He had a hunch and he wanted to make sure he was right.

"We've got to investigate it ourselves", he said, suddenly.

"My Lord?" interjected Hikoma. "You heard the reports, didn't you? It's dangerous even to approach it!"

"Because of the magnetic pull. I understand, Jii. But if what I'm thinking is correct, that tear might spell a greater danger if we leave it unchecked. And, if anyone can do something about it, I suppose it's us."

"Yes", continued Ryunosuke. "I figured that using Mojikara could do something about this incident, since it doesn't seem to have a concrete origin."

"You better believe we're on it", said Chiaki.

The other three simply nodded in affirmation.

"Very well", said Hikoma. "You can go. But please, return safely, My Lord."

"We'll do it, Jii. Don't worry", said Takeru, as he headed out of the Shiba House, his retainers on his trail.

* * *

><p>It had not been even two full days since the band of samurai last visited the rock quarry.<p>

The memories of the battle were still fresh in their minds, vivid as if it had been fought mere minutes before.

Here is where they vanquished Sujigarano Akumaro, one of their deadliest and most terrible foes, from their greatest battle machine, the Samurai Ha-Oh.

Takeru kept thinking as he looked the direction the crack was. That was the exact same direction where Akumaro was bisected by the Dai Samurai Giri.

"Hey, that wasn't there before!" said Genta aloud, pointing at the vertical slit that parted the skies. "I'm pretty sure the Kyouryuu Origami doesn't do that!"

"There's two explanations", said Ryunosuke. "Either we really did that, and the backlash was too strong..."

"...Or it could have been a last-ditch effort from Akumaro to escape death", concluded Mako.

"That's impossible!" said Chiaki. "We saw it! You saw it, nee-san! He was torn in two, how could he escape that?!"

"There's no time to think about it", said Takeru. "Right now, we must act."

He pulled out his Shodophone with the brush protruded, and wrote the kanji 閉 (close) in mid-air, before casting it towards the tear. The character was absorbed in it, but nothing happened. The leader of the Shinkengers stared in confusion.

"Hm. I'll try again."

"Takeru", interjected Mako. "Wouldn't it be better if we did this all together? Maybe our combined Mojikara..."

"Possibly. Let's give it a try."

Everyone then prepared their Shodophones, while Genta typed into his Sushichanger.

"I'm ready", he said once he finished. "Let's do this!"

Immediately, the five samurai started writing the same character in the air and once they were done, they flipped it around, as Genta pressed the "Send" button on his device. The six multicolored 閉 flew towards the strange crack and collided against it at the same time. At first, nothing happened.

But then, suddenly, the warriors started feeling as if the wind raced past them from behind before carrying them into the air!

They soon noticed that, just as Hikoma had warned, they were being sucked into the crack.

"Aaaaaah! What's going on here?!" asked Mako.

"Hold on to each other!" shouted Takeru, as he tried to reach for a nearby pile of rocks, the same where Akumaro had tried to split the Earth open to give way to Hell. However, neither he had the time to reach it, nor his partners could reach for one another, as the attractive force of that phenomenon drew them, with irresistible strength, closer and closer to its core.

Until they vanished into it.

* * *

><p>One world away from there, a similar, smaller crack opened up high in the sky, as six Japanese youngsters fell in through it, screaming, before landing in a heap next to the curb of an asphalt road.<p>

"Ooof!"

"Ouch!"

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm fine... What about that crack?"

"I can't see it anywhere."

"Where's Takeru, by the way?" asked Mako, as she stood up followed by Chiaki and Kotoha.

"I'm here."

His voice came from the ground level, as he lay pinned to the ground, with Ryunosuke and Genta inadvertently sitting on top of him. Chiaki could not help a snicker upon witnessing the scene.

As soon as Ryunosuke and Genta noticed, they quickly stood up and genuflected before him.

"My Lord! I'm sorry! I'm terribly sorry!" said Ryunosuke, bowing his head low enough to hit the ground, as he pushed Genta's head down as well.

"Sorry about this, Take-chan!" aplologized Genta.

"Get up, you two", said Takeru, as he picked himself up and started taking in his surroundings. "This place... Doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. It's well arborized... And has signs of people living nearby. We'd better inform Jii."

He pulled out his Shodophone again but, as he flipped it open, he looked at it uneasily.

"What's wrong, Takeru?" asked Mako.

"No reception."

"Great, so now we're stranded somewhere we don't know?" complained Chiaki. "So much for our Holiday break."

"Hey, look, a road sign", said Mako, pointing at the object across the road. "Maybe we can find out where we are from there."

"That's a good idea", said Kotoha.

On the sign, they saw it read a place called "Panorama City" as the nearest landmark, located down the road.

"Panorama City?" asked Ryunosuke. "I never heard of this place."

"At least we can tell they speak English here", pointed out Mako. "I guess that's a start. Let's head there and see what we can find out."

As the six newcomers headed into the city, a figure stepped out from behind a tree in the woods nearby. It was a man, dressed in wanderer's garb, with medium-length hair slicked back and a well-groomed goatee. He stared intently at Takeru as he left with his retainers.

"That man..." he muttered to himself, as he brought up his sword, an unique weapon with a reversed, red, serrated blade. "I can see how you feel, Uramasa. You crave for his blood too... And he seems to have a wild edge to him that can only be brought out in battle. Perhaps he will give me as much of a challenge as the Red Ranger... I certainly will not be bored."

With that, Deker retreated back into the forest.


	4. The Samurai Squadrons Meet

Back at the Shiba House, the Samurai Rangers went over the happenings of hours before as Ji tended to them. They were badly beaten, but luckily, not gravely injured. It was not the defeat that occupied their minds, however. Instead, they were completely confused.

"Who was that Akumaro, anyway?" queried Kevin. "It didn't just feel like he was too much for us... It was more like he knew how to fight us."

"Yeah... He was foreseeing our moves with an absurd precision", pointed out Mia.

"And not just that", added Mike. "There was also these weird things he was talking about, like..." he paused as he tried to remember the word. "... Gue... do..."

"Gedoushu", completed Mia, whose Japanese ancestry helped with such names.

"Yeah, that. And some Shinkengers too... What's that supposed to mean?"

"From what I understood, he compared us to them", remembered Emily.

"Maybe they're one of the teams that came before us, back in Japan", surmised Jayden, who had been quiet until that point. "Ji once taught me a word, _shinken_. It means 'true sword' in Japanese. I could make it out when I heard."

"Yes", added Ji, while bandaging Antonio's torso. "_Shinken_ was one of the principles followed by the first Samurai Rangers, that has been passed down through the ages. They only raised their swords for the sake of truth, and righteousness. Though I really can't recall that any of the previous teams has ever called themselves as such."

"Anyway..." continued Jayden. "...We need to brush up on our techniques. Find a way to catch Akumaro off guard and defeat him. But for now, I guess we could do some research. Maybe we can find out something about him and these Gedoushu guys, if they're as much like the Nighloks as we think."

His teammates nodded in agreement. The sooner they got to know what in the world was going on, the better.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, new people arrived in the city. Their first impression was one of astonishment; not because Panorama City was a place unknown to them; in fact, it was quite the opposite, in a manner of speaking.<p>

"There's something about this place that feels familiar", remarked Ryunosuke.

"Yeah, looks a lot like Tokyo, doesn't it?", said Chiaki.

"Maybe it was an architectural influence?" surmised Kotoha.

"Anyway, Take-chan, what should we do?" asked Genta.

Takeru thought for a minute and came up with a solution:

"We don't know how long we'll be staying, so we should check for somewhere to stay and how much we have."

"There's a hotel over there", said Mako, indicating a building on the other side of a square. "Let's go and check in."

"Do they take yen?" mused Chiaki. "Not that I got that much in my wallet anyway..."

"I suppose..."

Mako's sentence was interrupted by the screams of people. Instinctively, they turned the direction of the shrieks and saw humanoid-shaped monsters with red body shells, wearing yellow pants and armed with an assortment of weapons, like swords and rods.

"Gedoushu?!" said Kotoha, startled. "What are they doing here?"

"No time to wonder. We have to fend them off!"

Under Takeru's command, the six samurai prepared their transforming equipments.

"Shodophone!" he shouted, accompanied by his retainers, as each of them drew a different kanji in the air. "Ippitsu Soujou!"

"Sushichanger!" said Genta, in the meantime, typing the word _hikari_ on his cell phone-like device, which worked the same in principle. "Ikkan Kenjou!"

The six kanji that formed (five handwritten, one electronic) flashed before their respective writers before enveloping their bodies in red, blue, pink, green and golden light, forming their colored uniforms and the helmets adorned with each samurai's respective kanji, as they became the Shinkengers.

"Shinkenmaru!"

"Sakanamaru!"

Wielding their blades, the six samurai plunged into battle against the Nanashi Troopers.

But... Were they really Nanashi?

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Shiba House, the alarm flashed.<p>

"Couldn't have come at a worse time, huh?" remarked Mike.

"Yeah... And we still haven't figured out anything about that guy", pointed out Emily.

"But we have to go anyway", said Jayden, standing up.

"Jayden! You're still not completely recovered!" warned Ji.

"I know, Ji", replied the leader of the Samurai Rangers. "But this is our duty. We can't just leave the people helpless. It would betray the very concept of _shinken _we were talking about."

"I'm with him", said Mia. "We can't turn our back on this. There are people being attacked out there, and it's up to us to protect them."

The other Rangers stood up, silently agreeing with Jayden and Mia's words. As Antonio did so, however, he winced in pain, having had it worse than his temmates.

"Ow... Sorry, guys, I... I guess I'll have to sit this one out."

"It's okay, Antonio", assured Jayden. "Rest up as long as you can. We'll go and get whatever it is that's terrorizing the city."

Seeing their resolution, Ji relented. Deep inside, he knew he couldn't force his protégé out of a fight like this, nor could he keep his teammates from following on his steps. He sighed and authorized them to attend to the emergency, adding a request for them to "please return safely".

"Don't worry, Ji", replied Jayden. "We'll be fine." He then turned to his teammates and commanded: "Samurai Rangers... Let's move out!"

* * *

><p>At the city park, the Shinkengers fought off the waves of enemies while ushering the populace to safety. As usual, the Nanashi did not offer much challenge to them, and the only thing they had to their credit was sheer numerical superiority.<p>

But this, too, the Shinkengers knew how to counter.

"Rekka Daizantou!" shouted ShinkenRed, as his Shinkenmaru became a massive zanbatou which he swung around without difficulty, swatting Nanashi left and right on its trail.

"Water Arrow!" pronounced ShinkenBlue as he turned his katana into a bow with a spring launcher installed on its back in lieu of a string. He pulled the launcher back and released it, causing blue bolts to shoot out in a scatter and knock down the supernatural enemies.

"Heaven Fan!" said ShinkenPink, her sword becoming a war fan, which she simply flapped around her, kicking up gusts of wind that blew away the Nanashi surrounding her.

"Wood Spear!" called ShinkenGreen, wielding a lance whose blade protruded after he placed his Kuma Disk behind the kanji design on one end of the pole. Twirling it around, many a Nanashi was either skewered or knocked down.

"Land Slicer!" said ShinkenYellow, as her blade divided in three, disposed in a star-like formation much like a giant shuriken. She threw her weapon at the opponents before her, and it sliced through them.

As for ShinkenGold, he had no weapon other than his Sakanamaru dagger, but he made extremely good use of it, by combining his speed with iaijutsu (sword-sheathing techniques), effectively carving a path in the sea of enemies around him.

Between ShinkenGreen's attacks, he spotted a young blonde woman huddled against a wall a short distance away, threatened by a sword-wielding Nanashi. Presumably, she had tripped and fell during the commotion as the citizens started fleeing.

Breaking from his attackers, the green samurai propelled himself into the air and struck the Nanashi clean on the back, stunning it and allowing him to kick it away into unconsciousness.

"Run somewhere safe, miss!" he said to the woman. "We'll handle these things!"

"Thank you, Green Ranger!" she replied, standing up and running off, leaving ShinkenGreen confused.

"Green Ranger? Why did... Ah!" his thoughts were interrupted when a rod swipe, coming from a nearby gap underneath a flight of stairs, nearly missed his head. Thankfully, he dodged in time.

"Chiaki!" shouted ShinkenBlue, a few feet away. "Were you dozing off?! Focus on the battle!"

"Okay, man, okay! Geez!" replied ShinkenGreen, stabbing the Nanashi who just tried to attack him, while using his feet to knock others around him down.

* * *

><p>Just before the Rangers arrived to attend to the emergency, they bumped into a fleeing woman, who fell to the ground again.<p>

"Sorry... Let me help you", said Kevin, helping her up.

"Never mind", she said. "But I think you shouldn't go that way."

"Why? What's happening?"

"A bunch of monsters suddenly appeared... But the Samurai Rangers are there fighting them now, so you'd better stay back until it's over!"

With this, the blonde woman ran off again, leaving the five American youths _very_ puzzled.

"The Samurai Rangers... are there?" started Emily.

"Last time I checked, _we_'re the Samurai Rangers", stated Mike. "Or am I going nuts?"

"Let's check it out, just in case", said Jayden, jogging towards the city park, his teammates on his trail.

When they arrived, they saw what the woman was talking about.

Droves of Moogers fighting and being slaughtered.

And their enemies were... the Samurai Rangers?

"Okay, I'm _officially _going nuts here", continued Mike, awestruck, scratching his head.

"Are those... duplicates?" asked Emily, remembering how they had used such an artifice before.

"It can't be", answered Kevin. "Only we could've made them."

"Then... Are those...", started Mia.

"There's only one way to find out", said Jayden, drawing his Samuraizer. "Let's join them."

The others, readying their morphing devices, nodded in agreement.

"Samuraizer!" they all shouted in unison, as they used the LED tips of their devices to draw their respective symbol in front of them. "Go Go Samurai!"

In flashes of red, blue, pink, green and yellow light, they were clad in their battle uniforms as the Samurai Rangers. Instantly, they drew their Spin Swords and rushed into the fray, fighting their way to their counterparts.

The fray was so intense, it took long enough for the Shinkengers to notice the Samurai Rangers.

But eventually, it would happen.

ShinkenGreen was fending off a barrier of three enemies, by pushing them down with his lance in a horizontal position. He then turned towards ShinkenYellow, who was wielding her Shinkenmaru again and slashing enemies around her.

"Oi! Kotoha! Throw one of those at me!"

Strangely, ShinkenYellow just looked at him, confused.

"Uh... What did you say?"

"C'mon! Throw one of them in my direction!" ordered ShinkenGreen. "I don't mind that your voice sounds different, I'll ask about it later!"

The Yellow Samurai Ranger shrugged and, when one of the Moogers lunged at her, she kicked it in the gut, then pushed it towards ShinkenGreen, who hit it with his spear and threw it into the sky, shouting "Alley-oop!"

He then proceeded to jump up after it and skewer the enemy at the gut, feeling another blade hit his own in the process. He looked past the enemy and saw... Himself?

"Oi! Who the hell are you, dude?" asked ShinkenGreen, as soon as he and the Green Samurai Ranger hit the ground.

"I should be asking you that", replied the Green Ranger. "I know you guys are our fans, but you're a bit too extreme when you show it, huh?"

"Oi, oi, oi! What are you talking about? You're the copycat here, man!"

"Now that was offensive. You want me to show what I can do?"

"Heh! Sounds fine to..."

ShinkenGreen was interrupted when he felt something blunt hit his head. He turned and saw ShinkenBlue, who used his Water Arrow to beat some sense into him.

"Did you forget we're in battle, Chiaki? Rather, are _you _Chiaki?"

"Yeah, it's me, man! That guy's the one copying me!"

When ShinkenBlue turned again towards the other ShinkenGreen, he saw another ShinkenBlue next to him.

"What... Another... ShinkenBlue?"

"Blue Samurai Ranger, actually", he replied. "And you must be..."

"...the Shinkengers", said the Red Samurai Ranger to his counterpart, while they stood back-to-back to each other, surrounded by Moogers. "Am I right?"

"Yes", replied ShinkenRed. "But we can get acquainted later. Right now, we must defeat these Gedoushu."

_That word again_, thought Jayden. Certainly, the pieces were starting to fall into place. _Well, doesn't matter. At least we know they're on our side._

"I agree", he proceeded to say. "Let's take these freaks down!"

Then, with ShinkenRed wielding his Rekka Daizantou and the Red Ranger with his Fire Smasher in hand, they spun around, back-to-back with each other, in the fashion of a deadly helicopter blade, destroying Moogers left and right. With the area clearer, they each called for their partners at the same time.

"Rekka Daizantou, Oozutsu Mode!" shouted ShinkenRed.

"Fire Smasher, Cannon Mode!" yelled the Red Ranger.

Each team loaded their personal disks on the back of their leader's converted weapon.

"What about them?" asked ShinkenBlue to ShinkenRed, indicating the Samurai Rangers.

"They're our allies. No need to worry."

In the meantime, the same conversation was echoed amongst the American warriors.

"How about these guys?" asked the Blue Ranger.

"It's alright. They're on our side", replied the Red Ranger.

Then, wielding the gun with their teammates helping them, the two red samurai issued the same commands in different languages, while each inserting an orange disc on the side of their weapon before shooting.

"Kabuto Gorindan!"

"Five Disc Beetle Cannon!"

"Seibai!"

"Fire!"

Two large flaming spheres shot out in opposite directions, exploding upon contact and destroying almost all of the Moogers. The few remaining ones, cowering in fear, retreated back into the nearest gap they could find.

The battle finished, the two teams turned back to face each other, each of them staring at their counterpart (except for ShinkenGold, who stood next to ShinkenGreen) as they powered down.

"Well", started Takeru. "I suppose now it's time you answer our questions."

"Sure", answered Jayden. "After you guys answer ours as well."


	5. Different Lives, Equal Existence

Hi everyone, it's me again.

Again, I apologize for delaying the sequel so much. The thing is, I had just gotten a job, and things became kind of hectic around here. Also, I've been occupying myself with another Sentai fanfic, though this one's an original team rather than one of the 37 established ones. I also plan on making other stories involving other Ranger teams... Next in line might be either Go-Onger/RPM or Goseiger/Megaforce, maybe even a Gokaiger/Super Megaforce one, but I'm biting off more than I can chew here. I mean, I have the general outline, I could just use a little help to make it happen.

Either way, here's a new chapter on the tale of the twelve samurai. I've also updated the previous ones to put up line breaks to manage the story better (finally figured out how to do them! ^_^)

* * *

><p>After the battle, the Samurai Rangers led their Eastern counterparts to their home, so they could better assess the situation. From what it seemed, they knew who Akumaro was, so everyone should be informed.<p>

"Here we are", said Jayden, "The Shiba House. This is where we live and train."

"Shiba... Huh", muttered Takeru, analyzing the small wooden plaque next to the front gate. Even the kanji used were the same. It was too much of a coincidence.

Ji came out as the eleven young warriors stepped through the house's threshold, relieved that his protégé fulfilled his promise. Antonio, his wounds covered by a shirt, followed him.

"Jayden! Rangers! Thank goodness you're all safe!"

"Yeah", replied Jayden, motioning at the Shinkengers. "We had some good help."

"So, who are they?" asked Antonio. "The other Samurai Ranger team you were talking about on the phone?"

"We are the Samurai Sentai authorized by divine providence, Shinkenger", started Takeru, formally announcing his team. "I am ShinkenRed, Takeru Shiba, eighteenth lord of the Shiba clan."

"You're called Shiba?" said Jayden, somewhat surprised, though not as much as the others. "Funny, it's my family name too. Of course, I don't look Japanese, but you know... Anyway, it's quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

"A coincidence... Yes", replied Takeru, who kept on thinking it could be more than only that. As he wondered, his retainers, who had gotten acquainted to their counterparts on the way to the Shiba House, presented themselves to Ji and Antonio, one by one.

"The same, Blue. Ryunosuke Ikenami."

"The same, Pink. Mako Shiraishi."

"The same, Green. Chiaki Tani."

"The same, Yellow. Kotoha Hanaori."

"The same, Gold! Genta Umemori, sushi chef extraordinaire!"

Genta's overblown presentation elicited giggles from Kotoha, as well as Mia and Emily. He was just that much like Antonio.

"Ah, a fellow seafood enthusiast!" Antonio himself replied, on the spot. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Umemori! I'm Antonio Garcia, seafood chef _and _fisherman extraordinaire!"

"Aw, please, you flatter me with that 'Mr.' thing! Just call me Genta, or Gen-chan if you prefer, okay?"

"Certainly, Genta! By the way, since you're such an expert with sushi... How about we trade recipes, hmm?"

"Yeah, well, we can do that later", said Jayden, coming between them. "We got more pressing matters at hand, don't you think?"

Takeru nodded and followed as his double led both teams into the main house.

* * *

><p>"Gedoushu, you say?"<p>

"Yeah", said Jayden, after he started to relay the situation to Takeru. "I take it you guys know about them, right?"

"Gedoushu..." started the Japanese samurai lord, pacing around the main room of Shiba House. "They are creatures which live in Sanzu River, borne of the sins of the dead, and trapped between life and death. They need the Sanzu's waters to keep themselves together, lest their bodies will dry and crack up. They seep into our world through any gap or crevice they can find, with the sole intention of causing humans to cry and fill up the Sanzu River so that it may flood the Earth."

"Just like the Nighloks..." pointed out Mia.

"Nighloks?" inquired Takeru.

"I guess you can say that's what we call them", said Jayden. "But there was one who was... very different."

"Yeah", interrupted Mike. "He had this creepy grin on his face and..."

"Mike", admonished Kevin. "Let him finish."

Mike conceded silently. Chiaki gave a smirk as he witnessed this. Not only did that Mike person seem to be so much like him, Kevin also sounded a lot like Ryunosuke. It was funny on many different levels.

"As I was saying", resumed Jayden, "he came to us and stated clearly that he wanted to bring Hell to Earth. He..."

Jayden paused as he noticed his Eastern guests had subtly shuddered at the description. Most noticeably Takeru, who up until then seemed firm as a rock.

"What's wrong?"

"I... suppose we know who you may be talking about", replied Takeru, uneasy.

"So... You know this Akumaro guy, too?"

"Sujigarano Akumaro..." the name shook the Shinkengers to their core as their lord pronounced it in full. They thought they would never have to hear it again.

This strange turn of events proved them wrong.

"So, those Nanashi just now at the park..." started Kotoha.

"...That couldn't have been a coincidence..." continued Mako. "And it lends weight to my theory..." this drew the American samurais' attention. "...That somehow, he managed to avoid being killed."

"...I'm starting to see where you're going, nee-san", said Chiaki, nervous.

"Looks like you guys know him very well, huh?" said Mia, feeling sorry for the other team, especially her counterpart.

"Sujigarano Akumaro..." started Takeru. "...Was one of our most dangerous foes. He was very cunning, always one step ahead of us. We couldn't figure out his plan until the very last moment..."

"Which was...?" started Jayden.

"As you said, he wanted to bring Hell to Earth", replied Takeru, to the surprise of the American team. "To that end, he utilized a forbidden technique, called the Urami Gandougaeshi."

"Man, I gotta go buy a Japanese dictionary when this is done", muttered Mike.

"If we are to stop him, we will need to figure out a pattern to his attacks", continued Takeru. "If he has moved somewhere else... I can only hope that we're not too late to stop him."

"I agree. Let's take a look at the map."

Jayden headed to the main table of the room, followed by Ji and the other eleven warriors. There, he opened up a holographic map of Panorama City, where he used his finger to mark the location where the Shinkengers had just fought.

"Man, that's some awesome tech you got here" said Chiaki, looking at the map. "I don't suppose you got some sorta holographic video phones or something?"

"Chiaki!" chided Ryunosuke. "This is serious! Pay attention!"

(Needless to say, Kevin and Mike took notice of this too...)

"So, we fought those Moogers..."

"Nanashi", sort-of corrected Takeru.

"...Whatever you call them, we fought them here", said Jayden. He then moved the map in the southwest direction and pointed at the waterfront. "And here's where our team met Akumaro."

Takeru stared at the map, imagining the line between both spots. Only a city's span seemed too small a space for Akumaro's ambitions.

"Zoom out", he asked.

The map was zoomed out to reveal a small coastal state, nestled between Oregon and California, where Panorama City was located.

"So? What do you think?" asked Jayden.

Takeru stood silent, thinking about what little basis he had to work upon. He watched the map, considering the options, but no conclusion came to him yet.

"I guess it's still too early to figure out the pattern to Akumaro's plans as it is", he finally said. "For now, the best we can do is join forces and prepare. We could also... learn plenty with each other."

"I agree, Takeru" replied Jayden, offering his hand, which the Shiba lord shook firmly as the two leaders of Samurai Rangers smiled at each other.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, in the Netherworld, Master Xandred was getting impacient. Everyone there knew that was nothing new, but this time it was different: he actually had a reason.<p>

"Arrrgh! This is just rich! Are you saying that now there's not only one, but TWO sets of Samurai Rangers?"

"Well, uh... It's what the Moogers have been talking about, Master", replied Octoroo, nervously. "Most of them were wiped out by not five or six, but eleven Rangers at once! Could they be... The ones Akumaro told us about?"

"Speaking of that knave, where is he?" asked Xandred. "This plan of his isn't really going anywhere! What about that whole thing of raising-"

"At ease, Xandred-sama", interrupted Akumaro himself, who had just snuck in again. "These attacks may appear unrelated, but they are part of my design."

"You!" Xandred bolted up from his sitting position, throwing off a Mooger who was in the process of serving him medicine, and swung his sword until the blade stopped inches before the Gedoushu's throat. "I can't see what this so-called 'plan' is all about! What did you expect to achieve only with those Moogers?"

"As I was saying", continued Akumaro, calmly, "it was part of the plan. I sent those poor soldiers to their deaths simply to set my plan in motion. You see, Xandred-sama... In order to bring Hell to this world, it is necessary to perform a complex ritual, which is preceded by a pattern. I have studied this world before I fought those poor Samurai Rangers, and managed to figure out the pattern in it. I only need the... Nighloks... at key points along this pattern, and at the very center of this pattern, the final part of the ritual can be performed. But for this, I will need... Shall I say... Assistance."

"And who do you have in mind?" queried the lord of the Nighloks.

"A Gedou", replied the Gedoushu. "A stray, someone who renounced their very soul to walk the path of darkness, incapable of returning to the living or joining the dead by himself."

Dayu felt a wave of disarray run within her body, as if Akumaro's words had struck a hidden nerve.

"No, my dear, it will not be you that I need", said Akumaro, as she stammered, trying to find the words to say. "I need someone… with no true attachment to their past lives. Someone who gave up every last thing they could cling to. Who sought this dark path of their own volition."

"Uhh…" Octoroo interjected. "Well, I'm not sure if I can say this here, but…"

"Oh? You know someone who I should seek?"

Before Octoroo could reply, Xandred unexpectedly took the word.

"There's someone by the name of Deker, who's always walking around the human world. He's an insolent swordsman who uses a serrated sword. He might fit your description."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho… Thank you for your kindness… Xandred-sama."

"Nah, don't thank me", replied Xandred, sitting down and picking up his plate, so his medicine could be served to him again. "I'm just glad that now he's your problem, not mine."

"Whatever you say. I shall go seek this Deker, immediately. Please excuse me."

As Akumaro left the Netherworld ship, Octoroo noticed Dayu's vacant gaze following the exit that the stranger just took.

"Dayu? What's the matter?"

"I… I don't know", she replied, with evident hesitation, as she thought: _It feels like… certain things that I wanted to leave behind… are starting to catch up with me…_

She then put up her usual tough front:

"Hmph. What's it to you anyway, noodleface?"

Octoroo did not answer. He had an inkling that Akumaro knew more than he was letting on, even about her.

* * *

><p>At the Shiba House, when the meeting between the two Ranger teams was adjourned, each of them went their own direction to take some time off before training. Each Samurai Ranger was joined by his Shinkenger counterpart, in part by instinct, and in part because they believed both teams could be more efficient if they knew what the others are capable of. Kevin put this idea in practice by leading Ryunosuke to the training area, giving him a spare uniform to train.<p>

"I usually wouldn't train without wearing the appropriate attire, but thanks anyway", said Ryunosuke, trying not to voice his objections over training with a sleeveless black kimono top and pants rather than the familiar hakama.

"Yeah, well, this is our 'appropriate attire'", replied Kevin, who seemed to have taken notice of Ryunosuke's feelings. "Here's a shinai."

Ryunosuke took the weapon and followed Kevin to the square wooden mat at the front yard, where a training dummy was set. Kevin prepared his practice sword to strike at the dummy, when Ryunosuke stopped him.

"Wait a second!"

"What?"

"That's not the proper way to hold a katana!", said the Shinkenger. "You need to keep your swinging hand against the hilt, like this!"

"Like this?" Kevin did as instructed.

"Yes! And the other hand will stay on the handle as support. Here, let me show you how it's done!"

Kevin stepped back and allowed Ryunosuke to perform his strike. The Japanese man fixed his stare on the dummy, rose the bamboo sword vertically above his head and, taking a large step ahead, took a clean, strong swipe at the dummy's head.

"See? This is how a true samurai brandishes his sword!"

Kevin felt a little offended, thinking that Ryunosuke was taking a jab at him rather than at his swordsmanship, but decided to keep quiet.

"...Okay, I'll give it a shot."

He again readied his sword, turning at the dummy, while Ryunosuke gave more instructions.

"Calculate your distance! Try to catch the enemy before they catch you!"

Kevin, on his part, tried his best to focus.

"Your teammate's pretty, uh... methodic, isn't he?" said Mia, talking to Mako as they sat on a nearby porch, watching Kevin and Ryunosuke training.

"Ryunosuke's always been like this", replied Mako, playing with her Kame Origami. "Always so focused, trying to give 100% and expecting all of us to do the same. You can imagine how well that sits with someone like Chiaki..."

"Yeah, heehee", Mia giggled. "That's kinda like Kevin too. He's so straight-laced, we sometimes wonder what he did growing up... If he ever was like this when he was swimming..."

"He was a swimmer?"

"Yep", replied Mia, sending out her Turtle Folding Zord to play with the Kame Origami. "He was good enough to qualify for the Olympic team... But he had to quit to be a Samurai Ranger, to fight with us. I kinda feel sorry for him, having to give up on a dream to pursue something else..."

"But it's for the sake of the entire world, right?" said Mako. "I know it hurts to leave something behind... But if it's to make sure we can go back to that, I guess it's alright."

"Yeah... Maybe you're right."

"As for you, Mia", continued the Japanese lady. "The way you speak, I guess there something you left behind too..."

"Well..."

"It's okay if you don't want to talk..."

"No, no, I can talk. I actually wanted to be a singer, you know... I have a brother, we used to play together... But then I had my duties as Samurai Ranger to fulfill. I don't regret it, but... I miss those carefree days."

"Is that so... I bet you'd have a wonderful career. Me, I just wanna have a family... No matter if it's part of one or starting one."

"Are you an orphan?"

"Actually not... My parents left me with my grandmother because of the injuries my mother sustained when she was ShinkenPink before me. I came to terms with this lately, when I met them again... But I guess I just can't resist this feeling... Like, helping the helpless, you see what I mean?"

"I suppose I do", Mia then stood up perkily. "By the way, let me show you something. C'mon."

Mako stood up after her and they both retreated into the house, as Genta and Antonio watched from another part of the front yard.

"Where are they going?" asked the fisherman.

"I hope she's not leading Mako-chan to the kitchen", replied the sushiman, wary. "It'll be a disaster if she goes there!"

"I agree. Who knows what will Mia come up with?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!" said Genta, surprised. "You guys have the same problem with your Pink-chan cooking?"

"The way you say it, I guess you guys have it too!"

"Ahhh man, I knew it! You people just _gotta_ be us from a mirror universe or something!"

"I think it's _you _who's us from that kinda mirror universe!"

"Whatever! It's all so similar! The suits, the weapons... By the way, I didn't get to see you before; are you the ShinkenGold here?"

"Well... I'm the Gold Samurai Ranger, but..."

"Ohhh, then I'm more than glad to make your acquaintance!" Genta went and tightly hugged Antonio, who moaned quietly in pain, as he still had not completely recovered. "And I gotta say, you're pretty good-looking too!"

"You know, I was just thinking the same thing..."

Genta smiled widely in anticipation of his counterpart's praise.

"I was also thinking that I'm pretty good-looking!"

Genta's smile turned into a funny grimace just as quickly.

"Anyway, Genta, how about you show me some sushi-making?" asked Antonio, not paying attention to the change in Genta's expression, even though the grimace lasted only for a second. "I think some diversity would be good for a fish specialist like me."

"Whoa! Certainly!" replied the Japanese ranger, ecstatic again. "I'm gonna make you something worthy of the Michelin Guide! I'll just need a few specific ingredients..."

"Let's check", proposed Antonio. "That is, if the kitchen's still there..."

They both laughed as they headed inside, holding each other side-by-side.

"Your Gold Ranger's so funny, isn't he?" commented Emily, who was sitting by the front door with Kotoha, as Antonio and Genta passed them by.

"Yeah, just like your ShinkenGold", replied Kotoha, giggling. "It's good to have someone like him with us... It relieves the pressure of fighting."

"I agree. People like Antonio... or Mike... they give me the motivation I need to keep fighting", continued the blonde, with a weak smile. "Even if I'm not good like them or the others, I still want to do my best... For everyone else's sake."

"Hey", said Kotoha, gently placing a hand on Emily's shoulder. "You just need to believe in yourself. I used to be like that, too. Always having doubts about my abilities, thinking I could never catch up with Tono-sama, Ryu-san or Chiaki-kun... Because you know, I wasn't even supposed to be a Shinkenger. That was supposed to be my older sister, Mitsuba, but she fell ill..."

"Oh... I'm sorry", said Emily, with sympathy, as she thought of her own sister, Serena.

"But the other day I got a letter from her... She said she was proud of me, and that I'm truly ShinkenYellow... That I have been making a difference."

"I see", replied Emily, with a smile a little brighter.

"So, Emily-san, that's why I say you should believe. I don't know if you do have an older sister like I do... But I'm sure there's someone out there who trusts your potential."

"I guess... Thanks, Kotoha."

"You're welcome", she replied with a cute smile, which her counterpart matched. "Anyway, what do you like to do?"

"Well... I like hanging out with my friends... Or playing the flute, when I'm alone..."

"Really?" Kotoha was honestly surprised. "So do I! It was my onee-san who taught me how to play, back when we were living together in the countryside..."

"Did you too?" said Emily, returning the surprise. "Oh my, that's kinda funny! I guess we could be twins if we weren't from different countries..." She giggled at this point. "Teehee, it sounds like something straight out of some sort of TV show or something..."

She and Kotoha laughed together at this.

* * *

><p>As for the Greens and Reds, they had decided to leave the Shiba House's confines to give the strangers a tour around Panorama City. Mike's side of the tour was rather short, as he and Chiaki stopped at the arcade.<p>

"This is where I go to let off some steam", said Mike. "There's nothing like virtual fisticuffs to vent your frustrations."

"Yeah, that's just what I think", replied Chiaki. "Sometimes the people keep getting on my case because I'm the way I am... Sometimes it's Ryunosuke, sometimes it's Jii-chan... Even after Takeru started to accept me, I still don't get much rest. It's kind of a drag."

"I guess I can relate. Kevin's always trying to talk sense into me... It's not that I don't want to, you know, it's just that... I don't know, I think being so uptight like he is just doesn't suit me."

"Yeah, you see, I noticed you guys back there at your home. The way you guys play off of each other, it sounded just like me with Ryunosuke."

"Yep, and you and Ryu... Ree... your buddy there, you guys are kinda like me and Kevin too. Except he seems to be more strict."

"He sure is! When we let him run his mouth off, he gets pretty patronizing... But I gotta admit, it's kinda funny at times."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. You know, he once stood underneath a fountain to punish himself for talking back to Takeru..."

"To punish himself?"

"Yeah, he takes himself seriously just like that. He's an ass sometimes, but he's an awesome fighter too. To be upfront with you, I'm lucky to have him on my side."

_K.O.!  
><em>"Ha!" celebrated Chiaki, as he defeated Mike's character in the first round of their match. In fact, they were having most of their conversation while playing the arcade. "There ya go! These old-school machines sure are awesome!"

"Yeah? Well, I'll show you how old-school I can get next round!" replied Mike, in a challenging tone, stretching his fingers.

"You're talking to a _Tekken _expert, dude! I can kick your ass any time in this _Soul Edge_-kinda thingy!"

"Let's see you back up those claims, then!" said Mike, as the announcer's voice said _Round 2... Fight!_

* * *

><p>As for Jayden and Takeru, they had taken a stroll about the city, not talking much to each other. It was not out of animosity, though: that was just how they were. Notably, Jayden made most of the attempts to start a conversation, with Takeru giving quick, to-the-point replies.<p>

"So, that's pretty much what Panorama City is all about. It would be pretty calm for a metropolis, if it wasn't for the Nighloks."

"I see."

"Takeru..."

"Yes?"

"Where you guys come from... Is it too different from here?"

"Not much. At least, not this area in particular."

"I see."

They kept on walking, still with little exchange of words. By this point, they were at the outskirts of the city, walking along the highway where the Shinkengers first appeared in this world.

"There's something I'd like to ask you, Takeru."

"Go ahead."

"You being Shiba, like me... It's not just a coincidence, right?"

"I don't think it is. By the way, where do you get the name from? As you yourself said, you don't seem to be Japanese."

"It's from my father's side of the family. As far as I know, I had a Japanese ancestor living here in the West Coast during wartime... He met an American woman, the family tree branched out... And you can guess the rest."

"I understand. What about your samurai training?"

"I've been dedicating myself to training, ever since I was a kid. My father... He fought the Nighloks before me, and he was able to seal their master, Xandred, even though it was an imperfect seal. In fact, that's why he's threatening the world again now. And I've been trying to do my best to finish what my father started."

"Hm."

"And you?"

"You might say I can relate." Takeru stood quiet for a moment. "I suppose..."

"What?"

"That our case goes far beyond being a coincidence. Ever since we fought side-by-side, I've been thinking... That you are supposed to be me, and vice-versa."

"What do you mean?"

"Me and my retainers, we actually came from a different world. We were investigating an occurrence which looked like a tear in the sky... And it dragged us here."

"Hmm." Jayden paused to think for a while. "And... do you think Akumaro has to do with this somehow?"

"What we think... Is that he used some sort of technique to escape into this world and make us think we vanquished him. Why he would leave that path open, we still don't know."

"Don't worry. We'll help you find your way back."

"And we'll help you deal with Akumaro."

"Thanks... Takeru", said Jayden, who began to extend his hand before he remembered the Japanese custom of bowing. However, Takeru smiled and shook his counterpart's hand before he could withdraw it.

"You're welcome... Jayden."

The sound of footsteps in the grass nearby alerted them. The samurai lords turned toward the woodlands.

"Red Ranger", said a voice, which grew more intelligible as the steps approached. "It's been a while."

"Deker...", replied Jayden, recognizing the voice.

"If I recall correctly, you still owe me a duel."

"I don't suppose I do... But if you want to fight, I'll indulge you."

"That's what I wanted to hear", said Deker, stepping out of the forest. "But just this once, I'd like to make things a bit more interesting... You two against me."

Takeru's eyes widened in shock as he got his first glimpse of Deker. It was another piece of home that came back to him.

"Fuwa... Juuzou?"

"What?" asked Jayden.

Deker pulled his crimson blade out, not paying attention to Takeru. His body then was wreathed in purple flames, which gave his body a monstrous, white armor-like form, with a red skeleton face.

"So... Shall we begin?"

Jayden and Takeru responded by pulling out their Samuraizer and Shodophone.

"Go Go Samurai."

"Ippitsu Soujou."

In flashes of red light, both of them were clad in their outfits as the Red Samurai of Fire. They then readied their blades to face Deker in a threefold setup.

ShinkenRed and the Red Ranger were ready for anything.

Deker, on the other hand, had only one thing in mind:

_This is going to be great..._


End file.
